Art of coking heavy oils



Aug. 23, 1932.

W. S. GULLETTE ART OF COKING HEAVY OILS Filed March '7, 1929 Re e N E0 VG. m5

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 23,1932

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OFFICE wILLis s. Gunman, or mm ,1), AssI' NoR To srnc'ru "a Ermine comrm, or NEW YORK, 11.1, A conrona'rron or mama ART or comm nmvv 011s 551mm med use; 7, 1959. Serial No. 945,010.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in the coking of heavy oils, such as crudes,

topped crudes, flux oils, other residual oils and the like. More particularly, this inven- 5 tion relates to improvements in such coking operations in which a charge of coke is formed and deposited within a coking receptacle from which charged. Commercially, lump coke ismore valuable than coke fines. Theimprovements of this invention assist particularly in increasing the production of lump coke and in decreasing the production of coke finesin such coking operations. Other advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds.

The invention is particularly useful in mm nection with the operations described inj applications Serial'No. 3 10,996 filed February 9 18, 1929, Patent No. 1,831,719, dated November 10, 1931, and Serial No. 341,214. filed February 19, 1929 by Harry L. Pelzer and SerialNo. 347,533 filed March 16, 1929 by EdwardW; Isom and George H. Taber, J r.,

25 but, as will be apparent, it is of more general application. a

Most of the fines protluced in such coking operations are produced, not during the coking operation proper, but during thedis- 8o charge of the coke product from the coking receptacle, and such fines are produced by the disintegration of what otherwise would be lump coke. This discharge of the coke product has been efi'ected, heretofore, in a 35 number of ways ranging from the crude digging out of the coke product to more refined methods involving the prearrangement of chains or cables within the coking receptacle so that, at the termination of the coking op- 40 eration proper, the chains or cables extend through the body of the coke charge so that the coke product can be broken up within the receptacle and discharged by pulling out the chains or cables.

4 This invention provides for the removal of this coke product must be dis- 7 the, bulk of the coke productfrom the coking receptacle as large coherent blocks which can be broken up for sizing as desired with a minimum production of coke fines and a maximum production of lump coke. The discharge of the coke product from the coking receptacle is, moreover, through this n ention, much simplified and much expedited, making it possible to keep the coking receptacle in use for carrying out the coking operation proper a greater proportion of the time.

'According to this invention, a radially thin.

annulus of the charge of coke in the coking receptacle, a cylindrical coking rece tacle being used, is removed immediately ad] acent the wall of the coking receptacle at the termination of the coking operation proper and the remaining bulk of the coke charge is then removed as a single block or as a relatively small number of lar e blocks.

In carrying out t is invention, a radially thin annulusof the charge of coke in the coking receptacle is removed immediately adjacent the wall ofthe coking receptacle'by forcing an annular drill of diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of the coking receptacle through the coking receptacle at the termination of the coking operation proper leaving the bulk of the coke as a free block or blocks within the coking receptacle, and this block coke is then discharged en bloc through one or the other of the heads of the coking receptacle. 1 t

' he invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates, diagrammatically and conventionally,-one form of apparatus adapted for the practice of the invention, but it is intended and will be understood that this more I detailed description and illustration are simply by way of exemplification. I

Referring to the drawing, the cokingoperation proper is carried out in the coking receptacle 1, the heavy oil stock to be reduced discharged through connection 45. The coking operation proper may becarried out, for example, as described in any of the apphcations Serial Nos. 340,996, 341,214, or 347,533

mentioned above. The coking receptacle 1 may, for example, be a drum 9 in diameter and 30' high. provided with an upper head 5 and a lower head 6. The lower head 6 is of the full diameter of the coking receptacle. This large diameter head may be sealed,tor example, as described in application Serial No. 3443M) filed March 7., 1929 Patent l lo. 1,819,095 dated August 18, 1931, by Eugene C. Herthel. During operation, the plate 7, somewhat smaller in diameter than the receptacle 1, is supported just above the lower head 6 by means of a cable 8 extending through a gland 9 in the upper head 5.

In carrying out the invention with the apparatus illustrated at the termination of the coking operation proper, the lower head 6 is In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

WILLIS S. GULLETTE.

The coking receptacle 1 is removed from the coking receptacle 1 and an annular drill 10 of diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of the coking receptacle 1 and slightly more than the outside diameter of the supporting plate 7 is forced upwardly through the accumulated. charge of coke leaving the bulk of the coke as a free block or blocks supported bythe cable 8 and the plate The drill 10 is then Withdrawn iron; the coking receptacle and the remaining coke charge is thenlowered out of the coking receptacle by means of the supporting cable 8. The coking receptacle is then closed, with the supporting plate 7 in place therein, and the operation resumed. as de= scribed. No further cleaning of the coking receptacle is usually necessary.

The mechanism illustrated for driving the annular drill 10., comprises a shaft 11 carried by a hydraulic jack 12 and slid'ably keyed to a gear 13. The gear 13 is mounted on a. carriage on which is also mounted a rotary steam engine 14 for driving the gear 13 through pinion 15. A jack 12 and shaft 11 are usually provided for each coking receptacle in a battery of coking receptacles. The driving mechanism is mounted on a carriage to permit the use of a single driving mechanism in connection With any of a number of coking receptacles. When. in use in connection with any one coking receptacle,

the carriage carrying the driving mechanism is supported by means of jack screws 16.

I claim:

In the cokingof heavy oils with the format on of a charge of coke in a cylindrical coking receptacle and the removing of the 

